''Failure!'' is a 2023

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definiti ...

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

written and directed by Alex Kahuam. The film stars

Ted Raimi Theodore Raimi (born December 14, 1965) is an American character actor, director and writer. He is known for his roles in the works of his brother Sam Raimi, including a fake Shemp in ''The Evil Dead'', possessed Henrietta in ''Evil Dead II'', ...

Merrick McCartha Merrick McCartha is an American actor who appeared on television shows such as '' All American'' (2020–2021)'', Countdown'' (2025), ''Criminal Minds'' (2012–2015), ''Rebel'' (2017) and ''Unstable'' (2023). His film credits include '' Failure ...

, Noel Douglas Orput, Melissa Diaz and Christin Muuli.

Plot

Within one hour, a businessman must choose between his finances or murder to keep his family safe.

Cast

Production

The film was shot in a single, 87-minute take. Raimi said that

principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...

took three days from rehearsal to final take. The film makes Kahuam the first Mexican filmmaker to make a one shot feature film in the US.

Release

The film was picked up for distribution by Alief at

Marché du Film The ''Marché du Film'' (), also called Cannes Film Market, is an annual marketplace for films and one of the world's largest film markets. Established in 1959, it is held annually in conjunction with the Cannes Film Festival. In the 2020s, mor ...

and premiered at FrightFest on August 28, 2023. In May 2024, Red Water Entertainment acquired the North American distribution rights. It was released on

video on demand Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos, television shows and films Digital distribution, digitally on request. These multimedia are accessed without a traditional video playback device and a typica ...

on January 28, 2025.

Reception

Martin Unsworth at

Starburst Magazine ''Starburst'' is a British science fiction magazine published by Starburst Magazine Limited. ''Starburst'' contains news, interviews, features, and reviews of genre material in various media, including TV, film, soundtracks, multimedia, books, ...

scored the film 5 out of 5. Paul Chapinal at Film News gave it 4 out of 5 stars. Film critic

Kim Newman Kim James Newman (born 31 July 1959) is an English journalist, film critic, and fiction writer. He is interested in film history and horror fiction – both of which he attributes to seeing Tod Browning's ''Dracula'' at the age of eleven & ...

said the film is more satisfying that Kahuam's ''

Forgiveness Forgiveness, in a psychology, psychological sense, is the intentional and voluntary process by which one who may have felt initially wronged, victimized, harmed, or hurt goes through a process of changing feelings and attitude regarding a given ...

''. Anton Bitel at Projected Figures said it is "an understated, if unpredictable chamber drama" that "is concerned with broader themes of American capital and criminality." Horror icon and frequent Raimi collaborator

Bruce Campbell Bruce Lorne Campbell (born June 22, 1958) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known best for his role as Ash Williams in Sam Raimi's ''Evil Dead'' horror series, beginning with the short movie '' Within the Woods'' (1978). He has also f ...

endorsed the film by saying "Ted Raimi is one of the few actors I would — or could — watch for 87 minutes without a break."

References

External links

* * * {{Authority control Mexican crime comedy films American crime comedy films 2023 crime comedy films Films about criminals Films about murderers Films about families One-shot films Films about businesspeople Films directed by Alex Kahuam 2020s English-language films English-language Mexican films 2020s Mexican films 2020s American films